(Photo by Shulamit Photo)
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lava Media co-founder and CEO Jason Flom, and his life partner, the author and humanitarian Khaliah Ali, have been jointly awarded the first ever Visionary Leadership & Impact Award at the Young Audiences Arts for Learning Annual Benefit. The Award acknowledged Flom and Ali for their decades of humanitarian service and honorable dedication to a more just society — individually, and more recently, as a team. The remarkable evening took place October 22 at the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan and was dedicated to raising funds for arts-integrated education in underserved schools across the nation.
Alongside his storied career in the music business where he served as Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and Capitol Records, Flom has been a leading advocate for social justice and criminal legal reforms and became the founding board member of the Innocence Project in the late 90s. As the creator and host of Lava for Good’s award-winning Wrongful Conviction podcast series, he has been personally involved in the fight of exoneration and justice for over 250 wrongly convicted individuals. Khaliah Ali is committed to continuing her father Muhammad Ali’s legacy of community service, focusing particularly on child hunger, animal welfare, and justice reform. She serves on the boards of the Juvenile Law Center, the National Public Housing Museum, Street Soccer USA, and help USA. Together, Flom and Ali are working closely on several wrongful conviction cases across the country, including that of Robert Roberson in Texas.
Young Audiences was established in 1952 and has since served over 5 million school children each year, focusing on providing arts-rich education that caters to every child’s full potential regardless of socioeconomic background, race, geographic location, and ability. National Executive Director, David A. Dik praised the honorees, stating, “Our honorees remind us of the arts’ incredible ability to educate, inspire, and empower. YA’s work is grounded in delivering the countless benefits and joys the arts can bring to students, but also in the core belief that all young people deserve access to a well-rounded education inclusive of the arts.”
“Being recognized by YA is truly an honor for Khaliah and me, and is a testament to the fact that anyone can make a difference when you’re passionate, motivated, and have unwavering perseverance to a cause you believe in,” stated Flom. “The work YA does to instill that belief in children nationwide by providing them with the educational and artistic means to become leaders is crucial and deeply inspiring.”
“It is a profound honor to be recognized alongside Jason for work that is so deeply personal to both of us,” said Ali. “My father taught me that service to others is the rent we pay for time on this earth, and I believe that through arts, education, and justice reform, we have the power to uplift entire communities. Young Audiences embodies that mission, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to explore their full potential through creativity. The work they do is transformative, and I’m proud to stand with them in this endeavor.”
The inspiring evening also honored Emmy Award-winner Trevor Noah with the Artistic Inspiration & Empowerment Award and included an onstage conversation between him and acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson. In addition, Young Audiences showcased the powerful work they are doing with a live performance by the Jazz Combo, a group of nine young musicians from a YA arts-integrated public charter school in Greater New Orleans.
About Lava Media & Lava for Good
Lava Media is a multimedia company co-founded by its CEO Jason Flom and COO Jeff Kempler dedicated to applying the power of creative content for social good. It was established in 1995 with the founding of Lava Records, the music label that has launched superstars such as Tori Amos, Paramore, The Corrs, Lorde, and Greta Van Fleet, and many more. Its podcast platform, Lava for Good, creates standout original content, podcasts, and experiences that deliver unparalleled access and insights into the heart of social justice in America, and inspire action towards a more informed, empathic, and just society.
Lava for Good’s #1-charting lineup of podcasts, produced in association with Signal Co. No1, has been downloaded over 70 million times and is credited with influencing exonerations, clemencies, pardons, legislation and reforms nationwide. The lineup, hosted by leading experts, attorneys, activists, formerly incarcerated persons, and journalists on the frontlines of human rights and justice movements, currently includes Bone Valley, Earwitness, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng, The War on Drugs, False Confessions, Junk Science, and more, and is available on all popular podcast platforms. Lava for Good is Adweek’s 2024 Podcast Network of the Year.
About Young Audiences Arts for Learning
Young Audiences Arts for Learning is the nation’s largest arts-in-schools provider, serving over five million students and families in underserved rural, suburban, and urban communities. The organization is committed to delivering an equitable, arts-rich education that affirms every child’s potential, regardless of race, geography, ability, or socioeconomic background. Through integrating the arts in non-arts subjects, Young Audiences fosters lifelong curiosity and joy in learning.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/942fdbba-ddbf-490d-b7c0-fa22435203ac
